April 27, 2009

- While a speaker says s an average of 100 words per minute, you are thinking at 400 words per minute. Don’t waste your thoughts on anything other than what they are saying. Focus on them! By the same token, if you are doing all the talking and they all the listening, the odds are they are thinking about something other than what you are saying, such as, “How can I graciously get out of this conversation? I know, I’ll ask them to send me some information or tell them that my non-existent partner needs to be in on this decision!”

-No matter what you say, the listener will only retain 50 percent of what you say after the conversation is complete. After 48 hours that will drop to 25 percent. Keep it simple and limit the stated benefits to one or two.

-Pausing encourages the other person to speak. And if you’re really good, you will notice when the other person is using pauses on you.

-The thing that people most want to hear in a conversation is their own voice. You can encourage this to happen by asking open-ended questions that begin with who, what, where, when, why or how

-Here a few additional questions to add to your question library."How do you feel about _____?”“What is your thinking on _____?”

-Seeking elaboration will help you to find the real meaning behind a person’s statement, thoughts and objections. Some examples of this are:

"Do you mean _____?”"Are you saying _____?”

-Last but not least – the more you say, the less income you are inclined to make.

April 20, 2009

In the mind of a prospect it is easier to make the decision not to buy or join, than face the possibility of making the wrong decision. Your goal is to help the prospect justify why they are not making the wrong decision. A useful technique is to anticipate their objections in advance – be the devil’s advocate – here are some transitional phrases to help you draw out that inevitable objection:

April 16, 2009

Only seven of Emily Dickinson's poems were ever published during her lifetime? A rejection early in her career said, "(Your poems) are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities."

Ernest Hemingway's novel, "The Torrents of Spring" was rejected with, "It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it."

One movie review called The Wizard of OZ “Unimaginative and boring” and one editor deemed The Diary of Anne Frank “Not interesting enough."

April 13, 2009

Once someone has made up their mind to do or not do something, it becomes significantly more difficult to change their mind. Unless you allow them a way to change their mind while saving face at the same time. Here a few verbal phrases I've found useful:

* "Given the data you have, I can see your conclusion, but have your considered . . ."* "It's certainly open to several interpretations, but I think that . . ."* "Here is some information you may not have had an opportunity to review."* "Perhaps there are other factors I'm not aware of."* "Let's look at it this way."* "The difference between our points of view is not large, however we need to consider . . ."* "I think your XYZ department may have led you in the wrong direction."

April 09, 2009

Failure. The mere thought can paralyze even the most heroic thinkers and keep great ideas off the drawing board. But is failing really that bad? We get an inside look at the mishaps of Honda racers, designers and engineers to learn how they draw upon failure to motivate them to succeed. From poor color choices to blown race engines, these risk-taking individuals provide an honest look at what most people fear most. Watch the film and discover the upside of failure.

April 06, 2009

Imagine yourself stepping on the golf green as you prepare to putt for par. When you look at the hole to gauge your shot, you notice that the hole is much larger than its normal size.

Now imagine yourself at bat during your company softball tournament. You walk up to the plate and notice the ball the pitcher is about to toss your direction is the size of a basketball. How would these new circumstances impact your game?

Let’s try one more. . . . Imagine the potential customer base for your product is twice as large your current estimation? How would this “new reality” impact your sales results?

According to scientists in two studies at the University of Virginia, softball players and golfers who had good games perceived balls and golf holes as being larger than players who had bad games.

Could it be the holes that Tiger Woods sees are twice as large as what his competitors see?

This applies to the business world as well. Professionals that expect more and see larger opportunities usually get them!

April 02, 2009

The market wants you to be remarkable. The most important tribes are bored with yesterday and demand tomorrow. Most of all, the market has demonstrated that ideas that spread win, and the ideas that are spreading are remarkable ones. For fifty years, established brands with efficient factories and effective marketing carried the day. Pepsi, the Salvation Army, and the local hardware store were the cornerstones of the marketplace. Suddenly, though, the older brands are no longer the fastest-growing ones. The marketplace has raised its voice. If you want us to follow you, don't be boring. "Good enough," stopped being good enough a long time ago. So why not be great?